1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a device for collecting viscous fluid and more particularly to a device which is adapted to removably receive and maintain a plurality of containers for collecting the residue of the viscous substance located in the plurality of containers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Individuals have discovered that viscous substances, such as motor oil, syrup, catsup, or the like, normally require an extremely extended period of time to adequately drain the residue from the container which stores the particular substance. With motor oil, to reduce the waste, some individuals will allow for each motor oil container to sit in the oil pan for a long period of time. Though somewhat efficient, all the residue is not drained into the oil pan. Additionally, since some vehicles require four, five, or even six quarts of oil, this method can be extremely time consuming.
For conserving material in the restaurant or catering business, many workers will take a first bottle containing a viscous substance, such as ketchup or syrup, and invert it onto a second bottle. This first bottle is left on the second bottle for an extended period of time in hopes that the viscous material will completely drain into the second bottle. Though somewhat efficient, this system does not provide for a support means for the first bottle, thereby rendering the possibility of the first bottle tipping off the second bottle and defeating this system. Additionally, this system only allows one bottle at a time to be drained.
Accordingly, efforts have been made to provide an efficient means of draining viscous substances from a plurality of containers. Once such device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,842,095 issued to Bonnell. Bonnell discloses a device which is adapted to collect viscous fluid from a plurality of vessels including a funnel member, a plurality of vessel retainer elements disposed in the open top portion of the funnel member for holding the vessels in inverted positions, and an open-mouthed receptacle demountably attached to the bottom of the funnel member for receiving the fluid. This device does successfully retrieve the material, however, the design and configuration provides for a device which is limiting. This device fails to enable conventional vessels to be secured to the bottom, an option which is highly desirable in the restaurant field. Additionally, this device is limiting in the size vessel which can be received in the retainer elements. Vessels small or large in diameter would not adequately enable the lid of the device to maintain the vessels in an inverted position.
Hence, none of these previous efforts provide the benefits intended with the present invention. Additionally, prior techniques do not suggest the present inventive combination of component elements as disclosed and claimed herein. The present invention achieves its intended purposes, objectives and advantages over the prior art device through a new, useful and unobvious combination of component elements, which is simple to use, with the utilization of a minimum number of functioning parts, at a reasonable cost to manufacture, assemble, test and by employing only readily available material.